How do stores sanitize guitars between use?

[lowrider]

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Music Zoo told me they are not open for visits. They’ll ship for free, but I don’t think you’ll be able to go browse. If that’s changed in the last week , please let me know.

Thanks, I'll call before I go over.

[KarenB]

Good luck finding your guitar Jim, and have fun! Let us know about your experience.

[MakingMusic]

I don't trust that many of the shops are sanitizing properly, although a few are very diligent about it. So I take responsibility for it myself and hand sanitize before and after playing and wipe the neck with my own cloth and wash my hands afterwards. Not much else you can do.

[lowrider]

Well I've come to my senses. I just wanted to get out and try some guitars. I've done a good job of avoiding people for the last eight months and I don't want to blow it now and get sick.

I'm going to stay patient. Sometime, after we have a vaccine, I'll go out and find a nice electric and I'll keep on rockin, safely!

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

I assume you mean with hand sanitizer - which sounds like an excellent idea to me. No reason not to bring your own cable. Speaking of assumptions (which are almost always a bad idea), I'd assume the store is not doing a great job and take care of myself.

Keep your hands away from your eyes and do a good job with the hand sanitizer after you leave the store. Don't store it in your car - occasionally starts a fire.

I think this is good advice. I've visited guitar stores to try out guitars and amps on several occasions since March, and always felt relatively safe. The numbers of in-store customers are way down. GC seems like a ghost town almost. The scientific evidence appears to converge on gatherings of many people in closed venues as the number 1 way of transmitting and contracting the virus. Contaminated surfaces are way down the list. Of course, common sense. If, say, someone positive were to cough into their hand, then play a guitar that you pick up moments later, then yes, the risk probably would be substantial, but again, only if you then touched your face afterwards.

The way I've been doing it is assume that any guitar I pick up in a store is contaminated and act accordingly. No face-touching while I play it, and once it's back on the hanger, I disinfect my hands.

The greatest risk I probably took was not too long ago, when I held a longer conversation with a middle-aged woman looking for her first guitar, and she seemed so overwhelmed and lost that I had pity with her and gave her a few pointers. She had pulled her mask down, however, and for a good half hour, it was just me and her in that acoustic room at GC, so I wasn't totally comfortable with that situation.

But I think common sense go a long way, and as long as people are responsible, I think you'll be fine.

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

Keep your hands away from your eyes and do a good job with the hand sanitizer after you leave the store. Don't store it in your car - occasionally starts a fire.

This caught my attention. Could you help me understand how that could happen? I have a hard time worrying about a few ounces of sanitizer in my car starting a fire when there are 15 gallons of highly flammable liquid sitting right behind the back seat....

[jazzereh]

The issue of what the stores need to do and are or are not doing is why I'm not going guitar shopping. Anything I need musically, I order and get it shipped. I'm not in THAT much need of another guitar [or sax for that matter] that I need to worry about that. And, while I recognize shops need the business, putting them in the position to have to sanitize anything that gets touched by a customer just seems out of line to me.

[lowrider]

Another thing is; don't use hand sanatizer and then go out for a smoke!

I worked for two years rebuilding Newtown Creek Sewage Plant in Brooklyn. We had hand sanatizer everywhere. We had the little bottles in our pockets and the big ones on stands all over. We also had posters all over showing someone who lit his hands on fire with the stuff.

I don't smoke so I never worried about it, but if you do, be careful!

[hubcapsc]

I've cut way back on where I go since March, I guess most of us have.

I have masks, I hope they help to protect others from me.

When I come out of the places that I do still go, my habit is to
wash my hands and keys (and credit card if used) with the 80%
alcohol spray I keep in my car and truck. Good hand washing
all the way up to the elbows and face wash when I get home.

This isn't advice for others, it is just the way I've continued with
life during these times. Included in the places I still go sometimes
is a mom-n-pop guitar store that's not far away.

-Mike "the ink on my card's security code is dissolved away "